Ten illegal miners who were trapped underground for three days after a mining pit collapsed at Konongo in the Ashanti Region have all been rescued alive, bringing relief and emotional scenes at the mining community after days of fear and uncertainty.

The miners got trapped on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, when a pit at a mining site belonging to Northern Ashanti Mines caved in, blocking their exit route beneath heaps of debris.

For days, families, fellow miners and residents gathered anxiously around the site, hoping the men would survive the terrifying ordeal underground.

Nine persons trapped in Konongo mining pit collapse

By Friday evening, rescue teams had successfully pulled all ten miners from the collapsed pit.

Municipal Chief Executive for Asante-Akyem Central, Rev Ebenezer Kow Aidoo, confirmed the successful rescue operation in an interview with TV3.

“As at 7:45 PM this evening, all ten of them have been saved. We have sent them to the hospital and they are receiving medical attention,” Aidoo said.

The rescue operation involved personnel from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), security agencies, emergency responders and local miners, many of whom worked tirelessly for days to reach the trapped men.

According to Rev Aidoo, there had been growing fears about whether the miners could survive after spending several days underground with limited oxygen and uncertain conditions.

However, he said many of the miners appeared physically stable after being rescued.

“When they came out, they were jumping and hugging their friends and family,” he said.

The Municipal Chief Executive added that mining experts involved in the rescue believed the miners could have survived underground for up to seven days under certain conditions.

He explained that access to water beneath the mine may have played a critical role in keeping the miners alive during the ordeal.

Earlier on Friday, hopes of a successful rescue rose after emergency workers reportedly heard voices from beneath the collapsed section of the mine.

The Asante-Akyem Central Director of NADMO, Lanbon Joseph, said rescue efforts were complicated by unstable ground conditions and the depth of the collapse.

“We can hear their voices underground, and the rescue team is doing everything possible to retrieve them safely,” he said before the miners were rescued.

The incident drew large crowds to the mining site, with worried relatives, residents and sympathisers keeping vigil as rescuers battled against time to save the trapped workers.

For many in the community, the successful rescue has been described as nothing short of miraculous after days of uncertainty and emotional distress.

Authorities are expected to begin investigating the cause of the collapse once rescue and recovery operations are complete.

NA/AE

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